


Happy Birthday Chloe Decker

by Langus



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:53:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23921881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Langus/pseuds/Langus
Summary: It's been six months since Lucifer left to return to Hell. Chloe's friends plan a surprise birthday party for her at Lux to try and cheer her up. Everything is going great until the arrival of a very unexpected guest! A short Deckerstar fic I've been puttering around with since the S4 finale. I hope you enjoy it! This is the tame version but if there's any interest I'll post the rest (which is far less PG, if you catch my drift).
Relationships: Chloe Decker & Lucifer Morningstar, Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar
Comments: 12
Kudos: 133





	1. Chapter 1

“I heard it’s someone’s birrrrthdayyy!” Ella Lopez sidled up to Chloe’s desk wearing a grin that spread from ear to ear. Her bright blue t-shirt featured an anthropomorphic slice of birthday cake with the phrase “Pie is for wimps!” scrawled beneath.

“Sooo what’s the plan?” she gushed enthusiastically. “Girls night out? Dinner with a couple of gal pals? Quickie trip to Vegas?”

Chloe offered up a patient smile and closed the case folder in front of her. She’d been studying the pages for the last quarter hour but couldn’t remember a single word.

“Nope, no plans,” she replied. “Just a quiet night in with Trixie and a movie.”

Ella deflated like a balloon but managed to keep her smile from faltering, “That sounds nice. I mean you’ve been working a lot of hours since…well…”

Ella hesitated and inwardly cringed at her momentary lapse in judgement. Chloe had hardly spoken of Lucifer since his abrupt departure six months earlier. The office had followed an unspoken rule ever since to not bring him up in front of her. He’d left without a word, and all Chloe would say to anyone who asked was that Lucifer was gone and wasn’t coming back.

His lack of a proper ‘good-bye’ had stung, but seeing the toll his absence took on Chloe had been far more painful to watch. It was as though the detective’s inner light had been snuffed out. Ella kept hoping it would come back, sparked by a case, or a fun night out, or even a date with a perfectly normal nice guy. But it’d been six months since Lucifer had disappeared from their lives and despite her best efforts nothing had re-ignited the detective’s inner light. She was starting to wonder if the real Chloe would ever return.

Ella had a few choice words she planned to say to the owner of Lux the next time they crossed paths. It didn’t sit right, his leaving the way he did. It felt _wrong_. And the worst part was no one was willing to talk about it. Not Chloe. Not Dan. Not anyone. She’d even gone so far as to put in a few discreet requests with friends in the FBI to track Lucifer down, but they’d all amounted to nothing.

It was as though Lucifer Morningstar had disappeared off the face of the Earth. It didn’t make any sense to her. After everything the two of them had been through together, and how close they’d become as friends, after all that how was it even possible that he’d simply _left_ without saying a word? No matter how she tried to rationalize it she simply couldn’t.

“You know, I think a quiet birthday sounds great,” she concluded with a kind smile. “You’ve been putting in a lot of overtime lately. You’ve earned a quiet night in!”

Chloe shrugged off her concern, “Well, LA has a lot of bad guys that need to be punished.”

“Brought to justice, you mean?” Ella corrected with a concerned lift of her brow.

The detective shook her head and gave a placating smile, “Right, of course. That’s what I meant.”

“Okay, well, don’t work too hard! And if you change your mind about going out tonight let me know. I found this AH-MAZING Mexican restaurant a couple of blocks away that I’ve been dying to visit again.”

“Thanks, Ella. That sounds nice.” Chloe smiled, but the expression didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Ella lingered awkwardly at the edge of her desk, hoping she might change her mind. But when Chloe reached for another case file from the pile atop her desk Ella took the hint.

“All right…cool. See you around!” She slinked away and made a slow retreat to the Forensics lab.

_Better luck next time..._

Mazikeen sauntered down the precinct stairs with her latest bounty in tow and gave Ella a nod. The demon’s eyes shifted to Chloe and she quickly foisted her bounty on an unsuspecting uniform.

The demon strolled over to the detective’s desk and studied her a moment before announcing, “Hey, Decker. Happy Birthday.”

Chloe briefly looked up from the file folder lying open across her desk, “Thanks, Maze.” Her lips lifted into a brief but genuine smile before she returned to her work.

They hadn’t spoken much since Lucifer’s departure, but an unusual sort of friendship had formed between them. They understood what each other was going through in a way absolutely no one else could. They knew the sting of being left behind by him. The fact that Maze wasn’t a fan of talking about her feelings made things easier, too. There was no pressure to pretend with her. It could be messy and painful and ugly and Maze just let it be because that’s what human emotions were – messy and painful and ugly.

“Big plans tonight?” Maze inquired.

Chloe gave a weighted sigh and shook her head, “Nope. Just a quiet night in with Trixie.”

Maze pursed her lips and gave an indifferent nod of her head. The demon’s eyes settled on the flash of metal hanging around the detective’s throat and her brow lifted in surprise, “You’re wearing it again?”

Chloe’s fingers clasped at to the uneven edges of the bullet fragment dangling from a delicate gold chain around her neck. It had been Lucifer’s one and only gift to her. It was the sole piece of evidence she could hold on to that proved it had all been real, that _he_ had been real.

On good days she wore it to feel closer to him. On bad days it stayed shut in her drawer where she wouldn’t have to look at it. She hadn’t worn the necklace in months, but this morning she’d put it on after her shower without a second thought. It felt right sitting around her neck today. Her fingers reluctantly withdrew and she answered Maze with a light shrug.

“It looks good on you,” Maze said with a nod of approval. “You should wear it more often.”

Chloe suppressed a smile and pretended to consider the suggestion, “Thanks, I think I will.”

Not one for chit-chat, Maze departed with a flippant “See you around, Decker!” and headed for the Forensics lab.

Maze located Ella without too much trouble and took great joy in slamming the door of the lab just loudly enough to startle her.

“Maze?! You scared the bejesus out of me!”

The demon grinned. She _really_ missed torturing humans sometimes. But she wasn’t there to torture Ella, quite the opposite actually. Maze sauntered up to the lab table where Ella had an array of evidence bags laid in front of her. She leaned across the table, careful to keep her voice low.

“We’ve gotta do something about Decker.”

Ella hazarded a glance over her shoulder, her expression twisted with worry. “I know!” she replied in a hushed tone. “I tried to get her to come out for her birthday but she wasn’t having it. I’m really starting to worry about her.”

“Don’t worry,” Maze assured her. “I’ve got it covered.”

Ella froze as flashbacks of Chloe’s Bachelorette party zipped through her mind. “What do you mean you’ve ‘got it covered’?”

Maze shrugged innocently, “I mean I’ve got it covered. Decker’s going to have a fun birthday whether she wants to or not.”

“Is this going to be like the party bus?” Ella inwardly cringed at the thought of having to relive that night again.

Maze rolled her eyes, “Please. The party bus wasn’t even my idea.”

Ella chanced a quick glance at Chloe’s desk. The detective was still there with her head buried in her case files.

“Okay, fine. I’m in! Just _please_ promise me there won’t be anything too crazy or dangerous involved? You know I’m always up for that kind of stuff, but I don’t think Chloe can handle it right now.”

Maze sucked her teeth and pushed herself upright off the lab bench, “No sweat. Be at Lux by 7.”

Ella’s eyes bugged, “Lux? Seriously? The last time we were there the LAPD blew a massive hole in the wall!”

“Yeah. It was a real bitch to fix, too. So you coming or not?”

Ella shifted her weight nervously from foot to foot as she debated her options. She finally settled on Lux and replied with an emphatic, “All right! I’ll be there.”

Mazikeen’s devilish grin spread from ear to ear. She looked positively thrilled. “See ya there, Lopez.”

Ella quickly grabbed hold of her arm to prevent her from leaving. Keeping her voice low she asked, “How are you going to get Chloe there?"

Mazikeen responded with a playful wink, “Just leave it to me.”

Ella watched Maze leave through the forensics lab door and exhaled a sigh of trepidation, “Yeah,” she muttered under her breath, “I was afraid you’d say that...”

* * *

_On to Chapter 2..._


	2. Chapter 2

Mazikeen Smith rolled up in a rented cube van and parked it outside of Lux at exactly 7 PM. The boom of the music from inside the club made its way out to the street and grew louder when Maze opened the driver’s door. She made her way to the back doors of the van and jerked them open, revealing a bound, gagged, and hood-covered Chloe Decker. Impressed by her own handiwork, she pulled off the hood and sliced the zip ties binding the detective’s wrists and ankles.

Chloe ripped the gag from her mouth and gaped at her, shocked. “Maze?! What-?! Why-?! Are you kidding me right now?!”

“How else was I going to get you to your own birthday party?” the demon replied unapologetically. She didn’t appear to be the least bit remorseful for subjecting the detective to nearly 30 minutes of sheer terror.

Still shaken, Chloe stepped out of the back of the van and glanced up at the towering façade of Lux.

“Maze, no. No! I’m not going in there!”

“Yes. You. Are,” the demon assured her and slammed the doors of the van shut. “Even if I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you inside, you’re going in there.”

“I’m not even dressed-” Chloe objected, gesturing pitifully at her work clothes which were comprised of tired slacks, a plain shirt, and a black blazer (complete with utterly boring and sensible brown shoes).

Maze glanced at her outfit and gave an indifferent shrug, “Don’t worry about it. Linda helped me pick out some outfits for you.”

Chloe’s shoulders visibly relaxed and she uttered in surprise, “Linda was in on this? When did she have the time?”

“I watched Charlie for a bit while she shopped. Everyone wanted you to have a nice birthday so we pitched in and put together this party. So try and act surprised when you go in, and at least pretend you’re having fun. If it totally sucks you can get drunk on Lucifer’s top shelf liquor and I’ll take you home. Deal?”

Chloe pressed her lips together and her eyes briefly welled with tears, “Deal. Thanks, Maze. This really means a lot.”

Maze quickly glanced away. Outward displays of human emotion still made her uncomfortable, but she was getting better at it. Linda had helped a lot, but human emotions were tough for a demon to understand—especially the kind involving tears that weren’t preceded by some kind of pain or torment.

Maze gently cleared her throat and replied with a too-casual, “No sweat. Now go on in there while I find somewhere to park this thing.”

Chloe nodded and Maze gestured to the bouncer to let her in before getting in the van and driving off.

The music inside Lux was pulsing, its upbeat rhythm sending wave after wave of excitement through the crowded line at the door. After sucking in a breath for courage, Chloe made her way through the doors of Lux and sent the security guard an appreciative glance as he held the door open for her.

“Happy birthday,” he said with a discrete nod and smiled as she passed.

The club was just as she remembered it, the music too-loud, the vibrant lights pulsing, the dance floor packed with moving bodies swaying to the beat. Her eyes settled on the spot where Lucifer’s piano sat untouched. There were no signs to ward people off, but no one dared sit at it or leave so much as a fingerprint on its glossy lacquered finish. It was as though they were all waiting for him to return and regale them with another song. They were all waiting for him to return in one way or another. But only she knew the truth – Lucifer Morningstar wasn’t ever coming back.

The thought settled like ice in the pit of her stomach as she made her way to the elevator and pressed the button for the Penthouse suite. Her hands were trembling so badly she shoved them into the pockets of her pants and watched the doors slide shut. The booming pulse of the club’s music slid away as the elevator climbed. Her eyes watched the numbers light up one by one so she wouldn’t have to think about what she would find when the doors opened. She couldn’t bear the thought of seeing his apartment empty, the furniture draped in white cloths awaiting an owner who would never return.

She hadn’t been to Lux since the night Lucifer had returned to Hell. It’d all been too much when the pain of losing him was still raw and new. Just the thought of Lux reminded her of every time she’d hurt him, and every moment she’d wasted being afraid of him in the months before he’d left. She was tempted to stop the elevator and leave, but door chime sounded and the elevator doors opened to the Penthouse suite.

Chloe stared out into the one place she thought she’d never be again. Her feet took one careful step after another out of the elevator and moved in the direction of Lucifer’s bedroom. It felt strange to be there without him. Her fingers traced the glass of his bar and she smiled as she pictured him standing there, casually pouring a drink while chattering on about this or that. It was the first real smile she’d had in months. It felt good to remember him like this. Losing him had been painful, but being here was a welcome reminder of all the good times they’d shared too. She only wished she’d seen it sooner – the naked devotion in his eyes every time he’d looked at her. He would have moved mountains for her. He’d gone to Hell for her – twice! She’d wasted so much time being afraid…

“SURPRISE!”

Chloe started and her hands went instinctively to her waist where her gun usually sat. It was only then that she realized Maze must have taken it from her during the fake abduction. Ella, Linda, Amenadiel, Dan, and Trixie streamed into the room wearing wide smiles and carrying balloons, gift bags, and cake.

Chloe immediately relaxed and put a hand to her chest, right overtop of where Lucifer’s birthday gift sat tucked beneath her shirt, “You guys did all of this for me?”

“Of course! Gave me a good excuse to get out of the house and wear something not covered in baby vomit,” Linda joked with a laugh, though there was a ring of truth underlying her words. She offered a warm hug and held out a celebratory bottle of champagne. “Happy birthday, Chloe.”

“Happy birthday, Mommy!” Trixie joined in and wrapped her arms tight around the detective’s midsection.

“Thanks, Monkey,” she replied and smiled down at Trixie’s beaming face.

Ella stepped forward next and held out a small gift bag, “This is for you. So you can start your own collection of totally rad t-shirts.” Leaning closer she added more seriously, “This is okay, right? Cause if it’s not, just say the word and we’ll leave and go somewhere else.”

Chloe gave a reassuring nod, “I’m okay, really. This will be good for me.”

Ella nodded and stepped back so Dan could give Chloe a hug, followed by Amenadiel.

Chloe was only able to muster a shocked, “Wow” as her eyes cast about the space filled with the most important people in her life save one. “Thank you, guys…so much. I’m amazed you were able to keep this a secret! This is really wonderful, and exactly what I needed. Thank you.”

Just then the elevator doors dinged and Maze strolled into the suite carrying a full case of champagne bottles, “All right, let’s get this party started!”

“Uh, Maze?” Dan interjected with a raised brow, “Trixie isn’t old enough to drink. This isn’t going to be that kind of party.”

“Whatever, Dan,” she scoffed. “I thought of everything.” Maze set the case of champagne down on the bar and retrieved a drink topped with a bright pink umbrella from the fridge.

“I believe someone ordered a Shirley Temple?”

Trixie grinned and took the drink, looking pleased as punch to be able to toast along with everyone else. Champagne glasses in hand, the group toasted to Chloe. The detective’s cheeks flushed pink and she braved a smile before draining the champagne in her glass. Her eyes glanced unbidden at the darkened doorway of Lucifer’s bedroom and lingered there a moment before turning back to the party.

“Who’s up for some karaoke?” Ella cheered and corralled everyone together for a round of songs. Chloe joined in, glad for the distraction, but couldn’t shake the feeling that something (or _someone_ for that matter) was missing.

oOo

By the time the clock struck 11, Dan was carrying a sleepy Trixie home on his back while Amenadiel collected a sleeping Linda in his arms. Ella and Maze were determined to keep the party going and tried to convince Chloe to join them in the club now that they’d gone to the effort of dressing her up.

The pair of them had gone to work on her, styling her hair in long, loose waves and draping her body in a sleek black dress with a plunging back. Even though it wasn’t her style Chloe couldn’t help but admit she felt glamorous in it, like an Old Hollywood movie star. Linda had excellent taste!

“Are you sure you won’t join us?” Ella pleaded. Her hands grabbed hold of Chloe’s and she tugged gently in the direction of the elevator.

“It’s okay, you guys go have fun. I just want to stay up here a bit longer.”

Ella sobered instantly and nodded, “Yeah, sure. No problem. Stay as long as you need to. We’ll be downstairs keeping this party going if you want to join us, okay?”

Chloe smiled, “Thanks, Ella. And thank you, Maze. This was a really amazing birthday party. I’m really lucky to have friends like you.”

“Awe, of course! We just wanted you to have a good time,” Ella assured her and gave her a long hug before heading for the elevator. Maze lingered, clearly wanting to say something more. But since hugging wasn’t her style she settled on saying instead, “You look hot, Decker. I better see you downstairs later.”

Chloe gave a light laugh, “Sure thing.”

With that the elevator doors opened and the pair retreated inside. Ella managed a quick wave before the doors closed shut behind them. 

The impermeable silence that followed their departure was a welcome break. Chloe exhaled a weighted sigh and kicked off the heels she’d been wearing. Walking up behind the bar she grabbed a glass and poured a healthy measure of brandy into it from one of Lucifer’s nicer, unlabelled decanters. The smell of it was strong enough to make her eyes sting a little, which suited her just fine. She put the glass to her lips and sipped it slowly while she took a tour around his apartment.

Her bare feet moved silently across the cool, marble floors and led her directly to his bedroom. It was empty, of course, the bed dark and untouched. She ignored it in favour of his closet. The light turned on the moment she crossed the threshold and before her was row after row of shirts and suits neatly pressed and hung. The glass of brandy went to her lips and she took another sip while her fingers slid along the crisp seams of his shirts.

She closed her eyes and leaned in to smell them, hoping they would hold some lingering trace of him. They smelled clean, as though they’d been freshly laundered. She frowned, disappointed, and moved on to the pocket squares arranged in tidy blocks of colour. He was meticulous about his pocket squares. She smiled at the paisley one he’d told her was a “bold choice” and picked it up. She brought it discreetly to her nose and smiled, realizing the faint scent of his cologne still clung to it. Determined to keep it for herself, she tucked it into her bra and made her way back out into the apartment.

She realized as she moved from one room to the next that she’d never taken the time before to really look around at all the treasures Lucifer’s apartment held. Sculptures. Carvings. Famous paintings. Original editions of books. Any one of them could be in a museum. She was almost certain some of them had been at one point in history or another.

Her eyes danced over the collection of books on his bookshelf then settled on the piano. It was still untouched after all this time. She stood behind it, staring down at the keys. Her fingers ghosted over them, settling on the few she knew from her terrible rendition of “Chopsticks”. A smile crossed her lips at the memory of them sitting together on the bench, shoulders brushing, her fingers trying desperately to remember the notes while his flew effortlessly across the keys.

She swallowed down the last of the brandy in her glass and quietly pulled the piano cover closed. She debated re-filling her glass, but her feet brought her to the balcony instead. It was the last place she’d seen him and the one spot she’d actively avoided ever since.

She walked straight up to the glass but couldn’t quite bring herself to open the door. Her fingers went to the bullet fragment hanging around her neck. Seeing that balcony, it felt as though it had all happened only moments ago. She could see it perfectly – the immaculate white expanse of his wings, wings that she would never be able to laugh at again now that she’d seen them herself.

She retrieved the pocket square from where she’d tucked it safely into her bra and brought it to her cheek. The soft silk brushed the spot where his hand had last been, offering her one last caress before he’d left. She remembered how his touch had felt so very warm against her skin. The brush of his fingers had been feather light. She closed her eyes, trying desperately to remember every second of those last moments they’d shared together.

The fact he wasn’t dead made it all but impossible to move on. There were so many things she longed to tell him. He’d given up everything to protect her. He deserved to know his sacrifice hadn’t been for nothing. By returning to Hell he’d kept all of them safe. It was the most selfless gift anyone had ever given her and it killed her that she couldn’t thank him properly.

There was a part of her, too, that longed to tell him just how much he was missed. Not just by her, but by everyone – Trixie, Maze, Linda, Amenadiel, Ella, and even Dan. Nothing had felt right since he’d left and she wasn’t sure it ever would. It felt _wrong_ to move on, wrong to forget about him. She knew it was what everyone expected of her, but if they only knew what she did, if they’d only seen what she saw, they’d know it was impossible. She loved him, maybe even more now than before. If these last months had shown her anything, it was that she would always love him and time, distance, or even Hell itself couldn’t stop it.

“I hope I’m not too late.”

Goosebumps shivered across her skin at the sound of his voice. She hastily wiped the tears from her cheeks before turning around, hardly trusting herself to know the difference between reality and fantasy anymore. She’d had quite a lot to drink and she could already feel the brandy warming her blood and flushing her cheeks pink.

Lucifer stood next to the piano in a dashing three piece suit, holding two celebratory glasses of champagne in his hands. His brows rose at the sight of her glammed up attire and a slow smile spread across his lips, “Detective, you look positively radiant.”

“Lucifer?” It’d been so long since she’d said his name aloud that it felt foreign in her mouth. She took a hesitant step forward, discarding her empty glass atop the nearest flat surface. “Are you actually here?”

“Of course! I couldn’t very well miss your birthday two years in a row now could I?”

* * *

_On to the final chapter..._


	3. Chapter 3

_“I couldn’t very well miss your birthday two years in a row now could I?”_

She felt her head slowly shake back and forth as she moved closer but her feet stopped when he was just beyond arm’s reach.

“Well, come on then. Don’t be shy,” Lucifer chided as he held one of the champagne flutes out to her. “It’s no fun drinking alone on your birthday. Besides, this is _your_ vintage!”

She watched the steady streams of effervescent bubbles dance inside the glass but didn’t move to take it from him. She’d had dreams like this before, always tantalizing and painfully real. She believed them every time, right up until the moment when she woke up alone.

She blinked and her eyes shifted from the glass to him. His smile faltered, losing some of its lustre. She could see the unspoken doubts behind his eyes. Had he been gone for too long? Had her feelings for him changed? Could she still accept him for all that he was?

“I’ve _missed_ you, Lucifer,” she blurted out with tears welling up in her eyes. Her voice was little more than a whisper. “I mean, _really_ missed you. All these months I’ve barely been holding it together. I’m terrified that if I take that glass and realize you’re not really here I’ll break into a thousand pieces.”

Lucifer’s brows knit together in concern and he set the champagne flutes down atop the piano. “I promise you I’m real. Here, see for yourself.” He held his hand out to her and patiently waited for her to take it.

Chloe stared at his outstretched hand a moment then tentatively reached for it with her own. When the tips of her fingers met the warm, solid flesh of his palm she gasped and uttered a broken, “You’re really here!”

Tears were tumbling freely down her cheeks by the time her body collided with his. Her arms wrapped around his mid-section and held him tight enough that he was left momentarily winded. 

“Of course I’m here,” he chided, but a warm smile softened his features as his cheek came to rest against the top of her head. “I wouldn’t miss your birthday for the world.”

“I can’t believe you came,” she whispered in disbelief. She could feel the heat of his skin radiating through his shirt and heard the thundering beat of his heart beneath her ear. She discretely inhaled the scent of him and savoured the first real breath she’d taken in months. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Lucifer’s hands settled lightly atop the bare skin of her back and he pressed a soft kiss into her hair.

“I’m afraid I can’t stay,” he cautioned as his fingers slid down her spine in a soothing gesture. She could hear the trepidation in his voice and felt the way his muscles tensed beneath her hands. He didn’t want to hurt her again.

She shook her head against his chest and muttered, “I’m just happy you’re here _now_.”

“It feels like I’ve waited an eternity for this moment,” he confessed with a shy smile. His fingertips caressed her cheek, wiping away the last traces of her earlier tears.

She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, determined to commit every detail to memory, “I know the feeling.”

After a moment Lucifer took a quick step back and boldly held out his hand for her to take, “Chloe, would you join me for a dance?”

Feeling as light and carefree as the effervescent bubbles in her champagne glass, Chloe grinned and placed her hand in his, “I would _love_ to dance with you, Lucifer.”

From out of his pocket he retrieved a small remote control. With a press of a button the synth pop beat of “Time After Time” flooded the apartment. Setting the remote aside, he pulled her in close and began swaying to the beat of the music.

“How did you know I’d be here?” she asked as they danced in slow circles.

Lucifer spun her away before pulling her back in close again, “You mean did I use my special Devil radar to find you?”

An amused smile spread slowly across his lips and she rolled her eyes. It used to annoy her how he seemed to delight in her ignorance of the divine, but she’d missed him far too deeply and for far too long to be annoyed with him tonight.

“A certain demon told me,” he admitted with a playful lift of his brow.

Her head gave an understanding nod—Maze. She owed her a drink – maybe several.

“Though I suppose the better question is why _you_ are here. Shouldn’t you be celebrating with your friends downstairs and not sulking alone in an empty penthouse?”

“I wasn’t sulking,” she objected. Lucifer raised a dubious brow and she felt her cheeks grow hot. 

“It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to,” she added in half-hearted protest.

“Well I’ve never been one to object to a good pity party,” Lucifer teased, “though usually it’s my own.”

He dipped her backwards and pressed a light kiss to her cheek as he pulled her upright again. She held her breath waiting for him to kiss her again, but he pulled her close instead and continued to lead them on a slow dance around his living room. She masked her disappointment with a smile and closed her eyes as their bodies moved in tandem.

“How did you escape Hell?” she wondered suddenly, then added more hesitantly, “How long can you stay?”

“Always a detective, even when off the clock,” he teased. “Amenadiel. My brother offered to babysit Hell for the night.”

Chloe’s smile faded, “Only for the night?”

“Regrettably,” he answered. His fingertips brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. She could see for herself how he felt—the pain and regret were written clearly across his features. 

“It was a generous offer, and quite unexpected I might add,” he explained, trying his best to sound jovial. “I’m not one to look a gift angel in the mouth.”

“Of course...” The disappointment in her tone was palpable. “Lucifer, I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t think I’m strong enough to say good-bye to you again.”

She stepped out of his embrace and stumbled blindly towards the elevator doors. 

“Chloe, wait,” he called after her. She paused next to the elevator and turned back to face him, tears already brimming in her eyes. His feet drew to a halt, allowing her space to leave if she wished it. But his next words were raw, the emotions behind them hovering just below the surface.

“Time moves slower in Hell. One of the benefits of eternal damnation—it _literally_ drags on forever,” he explained. “It’s been months for you here, but for me it’s felt like years. The only thing that got me through it—the only thing!—was the knowledge that someday I’d find my way back to you. I know I have no right to ask this, but please stay. For a minute, an hour even…” 

She understood completely. His absence had left a void in her life (and heart) she thought would never be filled. The paralysing fear of reliving that pain had made her run for the door, but she would never forgive herself if she left now.

He slid his hands into the pockets of his slacks, looking thoroughly contrite, “I’m sorry that I’ve hurt you, Chloe. You must know I never wanted that. I wish more than anything I could remain by your side, but I think we both know why I can’t.”

“I know,” she said softly, practically suffocating on all of the unspoken words that filled her. 

He took a hesitant step closer and she silently wished he’d take another, then another, until there were no steps left between them. How many times had she kicked him out of her house or told him she needed space when they were working together? How many times had she taken his presence in her life for granted?

Countless times in the past six months she’d wished she could go back to just one of those moments and have another 60 seconds with him. How desperately had she longed to catch a glimpse of that playful look in his eyes when he teased her? Or the smile that lit his face when they finally solved a case together? She remembered the unabashed honesty and reticence written across his features when he told her exactly who he was, and the way it felt when she caught a glimpse of his eyes focused on her in quiet admiration. She missed the soft gasp of surprise he made when she kissed him and the rumble in his chest when he laughed. She would have given anything to re-live any one of those moments with him. No man had ever loved her as openly and unconditionally as Lucifer Morningstar and she loved him just as deeply in return.

“I’m here now,” he reminded her gently. “For a little while, anyway. Come have a drink with me?”

He surveyed her expression and assured her he wouldn’t do anything untoward. “Unless you ask, of course,” he added cheekily.

She walked slowly towards him until she was close enough to reach out and touch him. Her hands moved slowly, sliding up his torso beneath the heavy warmth of his suit jacket until her palms laid flat against his chest. She heard his sharp inhale and felt the steady thrum of his heart as it hammered against her palms.

“How long do we have?” she asked and lifted her face to his.

His thumb brushed a light caress across her cheekbone and his dark eyes filled with longing as they held hers, “Until sunrise. Perhaps a little longer.” 

He was careful to keep his voice soft, as though the slightest noise might scare her away. 

She nodded her head in understanding and listened to the way the breath caught in his throat when she undid the top button of his waistcoat. Her fingers slid down to the second button and undid it slowly, purposefully. By the time she’d reached the third his finger was under her chin, gently guiding her face upwards where his lips waited to settle softly over hers. His every movement was measured, calm, and achingly slow. He seemed determined to savour every second of their time together. 

She responded instinctively to his touch, rocking up onto her tip toes and tugging lightly on the lapels of his jacket to pull him closer. He made a soft noise in the back of his throat, somewhere between a chuckle and a groan of approval. With one hand he lightly cupped her head while his other came to rest against her lower back. He felt warm and solid and she melted into him as her hands went to the bowtie at his throat and tugged it loose. The silk slipped easily through her fingers and landed atop the floor.

“Wait,” he pleaded breathlessly as her hands began prying open the buttons of his shirt. She stopped and pulled back, her eyes searching his for an explanation.

“What is it?” she asked, “What’s wrong?”

He smiled patiently as he scanned her features, taking them in one by one. “I’ve waited a long time for this, Chloe. Can you blame a Devil for wanting to do it right?”

“I don’t understand…”

“I seem to recall you vowing once upon a time that you would never, ever, ever sleep with me,” he challenged, barely suppressing a grin. “I would never dream of asking you to break such a solemn vow. What was it you said? Hell will freeze over first?”

Chloe laughed in spite of herself and nodded, “Oh, I see what this is. I denied you for years, so now it’s time to get even, right? Maybe you _have_ been spending too much time in Hell.”

“I wouldn’t dream of pressuring you to do something you vowed _never_ to do, Detective,” he teased with his tongue firmly in his cheek. The saucy smile playing across his lips said loud and clear that he was enjoying their little role reversal.

Lucifer thought he would play hard to get? Little did he realize Chloe Decker was the QUEEN of hard to get. “Well, if you don’t want to…,” she challenged with a lift of her shoulders and slipped out of his grasp.

He laughed in spite of himself, all pre-tense gone. “I have never wanted anything more,” he assured her and his words sounded so genuine she had little choice but to believe him.

“I would never want to hurt you, Chloe. More than I already have, that is,” he amended softly. “Whatever happens between us tonight won’t change what must happen come morning.”

“I know,” she replied, her expression melting from playful to serious. “It’s okay, Lucifer. I understand.”

“If it were up to me-” he tried to reason, but she cut him off with a shake of her head.

“It’s okay,” she said again, this time with a smile. “I know how much tonight means to you because it means just as much to me.”

A boyish grin lit his features and she felt her heart melt into a warm puddle in the center of her chest. He took her hand in his and turned her in a slow spin before pulling her close once more. The song was fading now, but they continued to dance until the next tune came on. He’d made an entire playlist of the 80s love ballads he knew she liked. The smile that pulled at her lips felt like it’d become a permanent fixture.

“Go ahead, ask me what I desire,” she prompted him, a playful gleam returning to her eyes.

He smiled indulgently, amused by her request, “All right, Detective. What is it you _truly_ desire?”

She held his gaze a long moment, until her stomach filled with butterflies and her mouth went dry. Had he always been so impossibly handsome?

“To spend my birthday with you.”

He didn’t respond at first, at least not with words. A shy smile flirted with his lips and then his forehead briefly pressed against hers before his lips found her cheek. He left a trail of soft kisses along a carefully cut path to her mouth where he kissed her until her head was spinning and she felt utterly intoxicated by his presence.

Her hands moved boldly up the smooth plains of his chest to his shoulders, where they pushed his soft wool jacket to the floor. It felt expensive. Hand-made and lined with buttery soft silk. He didn’t even notice when it hit the marble tile. His hands were too busy gently cupping her head while his mouth moved against hers, bolder than he’d ever been before. Her mind flashed back to the countless dreams she’d had of moments just like this. Dreams where he’d ravished her on every possible surface in his penthouse suite.

The Lucifer in her dreams was always the same - frantic, passionate, and utterly insatiable. She’d wake with her body tingling from head to toe, desperate for some kind of release. But the real Lucifer was different in every way, and it didn’t take long for her to realize she liked him better. Rather than a raging inferno that engulfed everything in its path, his passion was a bright and steady flame.

He removed the straps of her dress slowly, one slender rope at a time. His fingers and lips explored each new inch of skin that was revealed to him as each strap slipped down her shoulder. By the time his mouth was carving a path from her ear to her throat, she found it impossible to focus on anything other than the way his lips felt against her skin.

She pulled his mouth to hers and her fingers tugged at the remaining buttons on his shirt until his chest lay bare before her. While her hands pushed the thin material from his shoulders, her lips mapped a trail of kisses from the underside of his jaw to the small scar in the centre of his chest. She traced it gently with her fingertip before pressing a soft, apologetic kiss overtop the spot where she’d pressed an axe a little too deep into his flesh.

He hadn’t tried to stop her then, and didn’t now. He lifted her instead and set her down atop the glossy lacquered lid of his piano.

“You still wear this?” he asked, sounding astonished as his eyes settled on the bullet fragment that dangled from a golden chain around her neck. Her fingers went to it instinctively and caressed it the way she did when she thought of him.

“It helps me to remember,” she confessed softly with a light shrug of her shoulders.

His hands slid slowly up her thighs, fingertips pressing into her skin. He kept his head bowed in anticipation, waiting for her mouth to find his. She rewarded his patience while her fingers went to work tugging at his shirt to loosen it from his pants.

“Shall we move this party somewhere a little more private?” he suggested with a pointed glance in the direction of his room.

Chloe nodded and slid off the piano top, utterly miscalculating the ability of her legs to support her. She went crashing to the floor, falling awkwardly at his feet. 

“Detective?!” 

Lucifer surged forward to help her up but she waved off his hands as her shoulders shook with laughter.

“I can’t believe I just did that.”

“It happens to the best of us, I assure you,” he said and she took the hand he offered to rise unsteadily to her feet. 

Her cheeks were bright red with embarrassment and she exhaled a loud sigh, “Wow!” After a beat her smile faltered, “Did I totally just ruin the mood?”

“Not possible,” he replied with a grin and offered her a champagne flute. “I don’t imagine much could dissuade us at this point, do you?” She grinned at the adorable way his forehead creased when he lifted his brows and shook her head.

“It’s been a while since I did this. I guess I’m more nervous than I thought,” she admitted before downing what was left of the champagne in her glass.

“That makes two of us,” he confessed and took her by the arm to lead her to his room.

“Really?” She searched Lucifer’s features for any hint he was teasing, but there was only bare honesty staring back at her.

“I guess I’m just surprised,” she said. “You’ve been with so many others I guess I just assumed...” She finished with a lame shrug and looked away shyly.

Lucifer gently cleared his throat and took her hand in his.

“None of them were you,” he said sincerely then placed a sensuous kiss against her knuckles. “Might I remind you, you are the only human to have ever given the Devil a case of blue balls?”

Chloe’s hand went to her mouth to stifle a giggle, “Right. I’d forgotten about that. I’ll be right back!” she promised and slipped out of the room only to return a moment later with the champagne bottle in hand. Lucifer raised a brow in question.

“I thought we might make a toast,” she explained with a mischievous smile. “To the end of blue balls.”

“And about bloody time, too!” Lucifer teased. He watched as she filled both of their glasses with champagne then clinked his glass against hers. “To ending blue balls,” he said formally.

“To ending blue balls!” she laughed and downed the contents of her glass.

Setting his empty flute aside, Lucifer held out his hands for her to take. Wearing a positively salacious grin he pulled her gently in the direction of the bed. 

“Now, where were we…? Ah, yes. I remember now…”

* * *

The End

* * *

_Author's Note:_ Thank you for taking the time to read this little ficlet. It's been a while since I've been able to write and this helped me get back into the swing of it. I'd love if it you could leave a comment and let me know what you thought of it. Here's hoping the wait for Season 5 isn't too much longer. Until next time...


End file.
